One button club - close to a fix?

Various

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May 21, 2018
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By using my lack of knowledge but stubborn refusal to accept a failed (left-hand) dash button, I think I'm getting close to a fix! I've had the button actually working again this morning on a temporary fix!

I have currently found that the failure occurred due to corrosion on the PCB. I have found where it occurred and found which 2 parts of the circuit board need to be re-connected to apply a fix. I'm just working on my technical ability to solder something which I can hardly see without a magnifying glass!

I'll update you if I manage to make the fix permanent. I have to say that the guys on an electronics forum have been great.
 

Various

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May 21, 2018
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It's about the left hand button on the dash which toggles the trips. I read loads of threads and found no solution to the problem but a lot of unhappiness at the cost of replacing the dash.
 

Cycledude

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Could you explain exactly what’s going on with the trip reset button on your bike ? Did it just quit working without warning ? Most of the time the reset switch works fine on my 2018 but there are times when I have needed to press it 5 or more times before it will do anything, mine is still under warranty but since it works fine most of the time I have not talked to a dealer about possibly getting it repaired or replaced.

It's about the left hand button on the dash which toggles the trips. I read loads of threads and found no solution to the problem but a lot of unhappiness at the cost of replacing the dash.
 

Various

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May 21, 2018
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I thought it was getting more difficult to use, then one day it just stopped working.

The problem on mine is corrosion on the PCB (circuit board) quite close to the left-hand button, but not the button itself.

I'd get it back under warranty if I were you.
 

Various

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After much head-scratching, I have now fixed the left-hand button on my Gen 1 dash which failed about 6 months ago. I am not an electronics person and have never tried anything like this before, it was actually quite simple in the end but vaguely terrifying because I thought it likely I would wreck the whole dash. I practised a lot on some old computer parts I had laying around before I did anything to the dash itself.

The symptom was simple - the left-hand button on the face of the dash stopped working so I couldn't scroll between the odometer and the trips. I believe this is also needed to set the clock and get into the diagnostics functions.

In my mind I thought the button itself was failing, I tried pressing it firmly and holding it but I was wasting my time. The problem was actually corrosion on the circuit board (PCB), see 'Close up' photo. The switch is fine.

What the corrosion did was to break the circuit which needed to be made when the button was pressed. I proved the problem with a multi-meter and could not get continuity across the joint shown. I practised on the other switch to prove my thinking was correct.

Once I knew that there was no continuity, the question was how to reinstate the continuity/circuit? The corrosion is on the top face of the circuit board, but really difficult to get to without major work de-soldering joints for the LCD display, which I didn't fancy. There's a more general photo ('Button label') attached which shows where the problem was.

Fortunately, the circuit starts on the under-side of the PCB, then switches to the top (where you can't get at it) and then switches back to the underside. This means that all you have to do is find the two points where it swaps sides and connect them together with a wire soldered in. I achieved that with the yellow wire in the photo (# 4087). Photo 'New lead 1' shows where the switch connects to (this is the tricky end because the circuit board is crowded) and 'New lead 2' shows the switch end of the wire. It took a while with the multi-meter to find where the switch circuit went to, but I got there eventually.

The biggest challenge is the scale of this thing and being able to solder. I did all my work under a magnifying glass and even then it was tricky. The wire I used is about as thick as a hair. I had to sharpen my soldering iron so that it could touch the copper ring around the joint to be soldered. I also used the guys on an electronics forum (and they were great) and about 3 hours watching youtube videos!

A professional may have done it better and I don't know how long it will last, but for now it works and I'm happy.
 

Attachments

Various

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Nice one - as a long time member of this exclusive club will have to hone my soldering skills and give it a try.

Good man! I don't know how much knowledge you have on this subject, I had none and these are the main things I learnt:

If you do try it, you can test that you have the right connections by simply connecting the two points shown with a wire pushed in (as long as it makes a contact) and then trying it on the bike (without the dash casing).

I used 'AWG 30' solid core wire which you can buy off ebay (or I can post you a bit, I bought far too much). This was recommended by the electronics guys.
The solder should contain 'Rosin'. Whatever that is.
You will need a magnifying glass, preferably one on a stand to keep your hands free. If you have something to hold the dash while you work it, even better. I didn't.
You will need good lighting.
The soldering iron will need a fine tip on it, I filed mine down to make it sharp but not to a point (a bit like a chisel). Make sure it's clean and tinned.
Number 1 lesson for me - get the soldering iron properly hot, mine took ages to get hot enough. I actually gave up hope off being able to solder a good joint and went to watch TV for a half an hour, but I forgot to turn off the Soldering Iron, when I came back it was hot enough!
Number 2 lesson - make sure the soldering iron can actually touch the copper ring on the circuit board, otherwise the solder will not flow into the joint. I practised about 50 joints on an old PCB from a computer before going to the real thing and I am very pleased I did! 49 of those joint were rubbish or non=existant.
The new wire could break if it is left to flap about on the bike, mine is stuck down with a bit of superglue.
I am told that there should be less bare wire by the new solder joint than I left.
I also scraped the corrosion off the board and left it alone at that.
There's a good soldering video by Manchester University on Youtube, search 'Basic Soldering Technique'. The most useful bit was 'apply heat for 1 second, apply solder for 1 second, leave heat for 1 second - remove heat'.

Good luck. Drop me a PM if you want me to post a bit of wire to you. It's about £3-4 off Amazon.
 

foosyerdoos

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Nov 19, 2014
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Aberdeen, Scotland
Thanks for the tips. My thinking is that I will try and confirm that my issue is caused by corrosion in the same place and then get a professional to do the repair. I have located a couple of companies locally that advertise repairs to PCB’s and see if they can carry out the repair work.
Last resort is DIY.
I opened up the dash when the button first failed and squired in a some contact cleaner to no avail and then closed it up again, forgot about it and got on with riding the bike thinking there was no solution.
Thanks again for your diligence and posting a potential repair solution.
I will let you know how I get on.

Andrew



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Various

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May 21, 2018
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I also contacted a local repair shop, but they didn't answer the phone or reply to emails, that's why I did it myself!

The electronics forum guys said that the fix was really easy and "literally any repair shop will be able to do it in 10 minutes".
 

foosyerdoos

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Nov 19, 2014
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Various, now back in the two button club!. Everything back working thanks to your fix - simples.
If we ever meet up I’ll buy you a pint or three

Many thanks for your post. I love this forum!


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Various

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May 21, 2018
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UK
Various, now back in the two button club!. Everything back working thanks to your fix - simples.
If we ever meet up I’ll buy you a pint or three

Many thanks for your post. I love this forum!
I've only just seen this post. I'm really pleased that the fix worked for you and your button is back in business, great news.

To me, this is what forums are really about.
 

~TABASCO~

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Not to side track this post, but to add another possible solution is to do what is did back in 2011. I added this three button switch on the bars and tied it into the dash. I have full control over the dash while my hand never leaves the bars. ‘Jokingly’ I’ve only touched the buttons just a few times since 2011. Has worked flawless the whole time.
If someone can’t fix the dash button, you can add a side button and have the added benefit of not having to reach up to the dash while riding.
Just a thought to try and help.

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